1949-1953 Triumph Mayflower

Triumph's managing director, Sir John Black,
liked the looks of his 1800/2000 sedans, and ordered his designers to apply the
same razor-edge lines to a smaller economy model, the 1949-1953 Triumph Mayflower. As General Motors' former
styling chief, William L. Mitchell, might say, this was like trying to tailor a
dwarf.

The model was named Mayflower to appeal to Americans, to whom it was
aimed. Alas, it didn't appeal in the U.S. It was cute, though hardly elegant:
the scale and proportions were all wrong. Nonetheless, the boxy body did offer
an incredible amount of space for its overall size.

Today, it's invariably a
cause for smiles, and amusing to the collector with a sense of humor. It's a
winsome little car that will grow on you, and it doesn't cost a mint to buy or
restore.